You might be feeling a sense of déjà vu at the news that the social VR platform AltspaceVR is shutting down. This has almost happened once before, after its developers announced in 2017 that they did not have enough funds to keep the servers running. Soon after, they were saved by Microsoft, which acquired AltspaceVR in what appeared to be a response to Facebook’s turn to virtual reality. That renewed lifespan is about to end, with the announcement that AltspaceVR will be shutting down on March 10. (opens in a new tab).

“As we look to the future,” says the Team AltspaceVR post, “we see the opportunity for VR to expand beyond consumer into business and now we have an even bigger goal: a more open, accessible, and sure of immersive experiences in the metaverse To achieve this we have made the…